The Richmond Sockeyes will be playing for their fifth-ever Cyclone Taylor Cup provincial junior B hockey championship this afternoon in Courtenay.
The Pacific International Junior Hockey League champions have been the class of the four-team tournament thus far taking a perfect 3-0 record into the gold medal game at 2:30 p.m today against Island champions Victoria Cougars. The winner will represent B.C. at next weeks Keystone Cup Western Canadian Championship in Manitoba.
The Sockeyes opened the provincials on Thursday with a 5-2 win over Victoria handing the Cougars just their fourth loss of the entire season in regulation time. Jeremy Hamaguchi, Rudi Thorsteinson, Daniell Lange, Dean Allison and Daniel Tait had the Richmond goals.
The Sockeyes then dumped the host Comox Valley Glacier Kings 6-2 Friday behind a hat trick from Jake Roder. Allison chipped in with a pair and Thorsteinson also scored, while Kootenay Alder turned aside 18 shots.
Richmond then completed its perfect run in round-robin play with a 3-2 win yesterday against Kootenay league champion Castlegar Rebels on goals by Danton Heinen, Scott Wessa and Lange. The Sockeyes opened up a 3-0 lead after 40 minutes before the Rebels got on the board with 7:31 remaining and also scored in the final minute of play.
The Sockeyes are now 15-3 in the post-season with their only losses coming in a seven game series win against the Delta Ice Hawks.
A win today would have the Sockeyes scrambling to pack their bags again. The Keystone Cup starts Thursday in St. Malo. The other five participants Saskatoon Royals (Saskatchewan), Okotoks Bisons (Alberta), Peguis Juniors (Manitoba) and Northern Hawks (Ontario) have already been finalized.
